Apparition
by CSI4nsicAce
Summary: GSR - Grissom undergoes a life-changing experience. - COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CSI.  
Please do not repost this story anywhere without my permission.  
Thanks, enjoy._

* * *

"No, Conrad, you're not rearranging my shift again," Grissom said sternly, "the only acceptable offer is putting the nightshift back together." 

Grissom lightly tapped his glasses against his desk and quelled the urge to pound his fist against the desk. "You can't pull that with Sara," Grissom all but yelled, "you know Sara would quit if you tried to move her to dayshift. Her solve rate is too good for you to try to pull a stunt like that."

Getting another onslaught of words from Ecklie, Grissom tightened his grip on his glasses. "Ecklie, I don't have time to entertain your maniacal ideas. If you come up with something reasonable, you know where to find me," Grissom yelled and slammed the phone back in its cradle.

Feeling slightly better from his brief outburst, Grissom took a deep breath and tried to relax his pulse. _Come on, Gil, you need to go hand out assignments._ Confident that he had successfully calmed himself, Grissom picked up the assignment slips and walked out to the break room.

* * *

"Grissom, do you have anyone available now?" Catherine asked, walking into his office a couple of hours into his shift. 

"I believe Sara just got back from a B&E," Grissom stated, setting a file down, "Why?"

"Swing's tapped out again. I'm leaving to go to a domestic disturbance, and I need someone to go to a convenience store robbery," Catherine explained hurriedly, anxious to get to her scene.

"You can take Sara. She's probably down in trace or in the break room."

Catherine got a better look at Grissom when he turned totally toward her. "Thanks," Catherine spoke, squinting her eyes at him, "Are you okay? You're pretty sweaty for sitting here in air-conditioning."

Grissom wiped a hand across his forehead and noticed that his fingers were covered in sweat. Looking up from his fingers, he realized that Catherine was waiting for a reply. "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," Grissom stuttered, "Take Sara; go get your cases taken care of."

"Okay," Catherine said, giving him a quick smile and retreating from his office.

Getting the feeling that he should probably clean up a bit, Grissom got up from his chair and left his office.

* * *

Coming back from another robbery scene, Grissom walked slowly down the hallway toward his office, trying to conserve his energy. He had been fighting what he thought was indigestion, and he was short of breath from making the short trek into the building from the parking lot. _I need a break._ Unlocking his office door, Grissom entered his office, retrieved a bottle of water, and fell into his desk chair. Turning his back to the door, Grissom held his hand over his chest and tried to calm his breathing. _You are so out of shape, Gil; look at what this job is doing to you. It's amazing you can keep up with Sara._ Leaning back in his chair, Grissom tried to relax.

* * *

"Grissom, I need your input on this case," Catherine stated, stepping into his office. 

Grissom was slightly startled by Catherine's voice, for his mind had wandered. He turned his chair back toward the door and looked up at Catherine. "Why are you still here?" Grissom asked.

"I'm putting some overtime in on my case. Turned out the domestic disturbance was a possible homicide," Catherine explained, "I have some things that I want you to look at under the scope."

"Alright," Grissom spoke, pushing himself up from his desk and leaning on it as he walked around it.

Catherine turned her back to Grissom and started back out the door. Grissom felt his chest get tighter, and he had to fight to pull in another breath. Before he could call out to Catherine to alert her to his difficulty, he dropped to the floor, taking his file folder inbox with him.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Flipping around in the hallway when she heard a crash, Catherine found Grissom partially leaning against his desk, clutching his chest. She ran back into his office and shook his shoulder. "Gil, what's going on? What is it?" Catherine asked, trying to get him to respond.

Catherine watched his eyes move, seemingly searching for something, but he didn't reply. Grissom struggled to breathe, and he felt like his chest was on fire. "Gil, it's alright; I'm going to get you some help," Catherine stated, guiding him so he was laying flat on the floor and pulling out her cell phone to dial 911.

While instructing the 911 operator as to what the emergency was, Catherine unbuttoned the top buttons of Grissom's shirt so he would be more comfortable. When she ended her call with the operator, Greg had appeared in the doorway. "What's going on?" Greg inquired frantically, "I heard a crash, and… What's going on? What's happening?"

"Greg, go to the break room and get the defibrillator," Catherine instructed, somehow staying calm throughout the chaos.

Greg stood rooted for a moment, but then took off for the break room. When Catherine turned back to Grissom and noticed that she couldn't hear him breathing, she pressed her fingers to his neck to try to find a pulse. _Thank God his heart is still pumping. _Catherine tilted his head back in order to clear his airway and see if he was breathing. _I'm only doing this because I have to save your life, Grissom._ Catherine started performing rescue breathing and waited for Greg to return.

* * *

Once the EMTs arrived and prepared Grissom for transport, Catherine got ready to go in the ambulance with him. "Greg, go get Sara and bring her to Desert Palm," Catherine instructed, "I don't care what you have to tell her, just get her there. I'll stay with Grissom." 

Greg nodded and ran out of the room to head for the parking lot. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and asked Sara where her scene was so he could meet her there.

* * *

"Sara, dayshift is going to take over your case," Greg stated, finding her at her scene. 

"First of all, why are you telling me this, and why is dayshift here?" Sara asked, looking at the two dayshift CSIs behind him.

"Sara, turn over your evidence and your keys and come with me," Greg instructed, taking her by the arm.

After transferring her evidence and keys to the dayshift CSIs, Sara walked with Greg back toward his vehicle. "Greg, what is going on?" Sara demanded when they reached the vehicle.

Greg's eyes drifted to Sara's platinum ring before he met her eyes. _Just tell her. _"Grissom had a heart attack," Greg spoke, trying to judge Sara's reaction, "they took him to Desert Palm. Catherine went with him. I'm here to bring you there."

Sara paused for a moment, trying to absorb the information. "Get in and drive, Greg," Sara ordered, opening the passenger side door.

_Well, that's not the reaction I expected. _Greg nodded and ran around the vehicle to get in the driver's side door.

* * *

Upon arrival in the emergency room, Sara and Greg were directed to a waiting room where they found Catherine. Catherine was shocked that Sara's face wasn't marred by tears. "They're trying to stabilize him," Catherine explained, wanting to tell Sara something, but not really having much information. 

Sara nodded and turned back toward Greg. "Greg, go home," Sara instructed, "You need to work next shift, so you need your sleep."

Greg looked at Sara in shock. "You can't expect me to just leave," Greg stammered.

"Greg, I know you want to help or support or something, but please, just go home. That'll help me the most," Sara stated.

Catherine shifted her head so that Greg could see her, and she nodded. '_I'll call_,' Catherine mouthed.

Not knowing what to say, Greg squeezed Sara's upper arms in support before turning to leave the hospital. After Greg walked away, Sara settled into a chair near Catherine. "Tell me what happened, Catherine; I want to hear all of it," Sara demanded, her voice full of determination.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to evade Sara, Catherine started explaining the events that occurred before their trip to the hospital. "I walked into Gil's office to ask him a question about my evidence, and he looked kind of clammy. He got up from his desk to leave his office, I turned away, and I heard him hit the floor. Greg and I did CPR until the paramedics came," Catherine detailed.

"How long did it take the paramedics to get there?" Sara questioned.

"Ten minutes," Catherine stated.

Sara sighed and shifted to the edge of her seat. She caught a glimpse of the papers that Catherine held in her lap and realized what they were. "Can I have those to finish filling out?" Sara asked Catherine, gesturing to the clipboard full of forms.

"Sure," Catherine said, handing them over, "I got a lot of things filled out, but you'll be able to do a much better job."

Sara nodded and took over the task of filling out the paperwork.

* * *

Anxious that she still hadn't heard anything regarding her husband's condition in the hour that she had been waiting, Sara approached the nurses' desk. "Can you tell me anything about Gil Grissom's condition?" Sara asked, "He's my husband. I've been waiting to hear something, anything, about how he is doing." 

Sara took a deep breath and fought to hold herself together for a while longer. The nurse gave Sara a small, understanding smile, knowing that it took a lot of strength for Sara to suppress her emotions for as long as she had. "Your husband was taken for an angiogram and angioplasty to try and find out which of his arteries were blocked and to clear the arteries," the nurse explained, "I can try to get someone to come talk to you regarding his condition. Have a seat and I'll see what I can do."

Sara forced herself to give the nurse a small smile. "Thank you," she stated before retreating to her seat.

* * *

Catherine, feeling awkward about the silence that had encompassed Sara and her for most of the time that Sara had been there, decided that she had to say something. "Sara, is there anything I can do?" Catherine asked, unsure as to what she could possibly do to help. 

"Well, I'd tell you to go home too, but you wouldn't, so I won't waste my breath. I just want to see him, Catherine; I want to know how he is doing," Sara admitted.

"You'll see him soon enough," Catherine stated, reaching to give Sara's hand a supporting squeeze, "He'll be back, giving orders in the lab, in no time."

Sara extracted her hand from Catherine's and lowered her head. _What is taking so long?_

* * *

Twenty minutes later, another nurse jogged into the waiting room. After talking to the nurse at the desk, the nurse approached Sara. "Ms. Sidle, if you would come with me, your husband's doctor needs to explain a procedure to you," the nurse said hastily. 

"What's going on?" Sara questioned, getting up from her chair.

"Come with me," the nurse repeated.

Fear passed over Sara's face, and she turned to Catherine, not knowing what to say.

Understanding the silent message in Sara's eyes, Catherine nodded and vacated her chair to follow them.

* * *

Arriving in a consultation room, Sara began feeling very uneasy. "Ms. Sidle, right now we are prepping your husband for an emergency coronary quadruple bypass surgery," the doctor explained. 

As soon as Sara interpreted what the doctor said, she didn't hear anything else as her carefully constructed façade crumbled, and she was hit by the full onslaught of emotions that she had suppressed for so long.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

"Gil, we're going to get through this," Sara assured, keeping her voice to a whisper.

Sara held Grissom's left hand between her hands and rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand. He hadn't yet regained consciousness following the surgery, and he was still on a ventilator, but the nurse had granted her a few minutes to see her husband. Kissing the back of his hand a final time, Sara returned his hand to its place beside his body, beneath the sheet, and carefully brushed her hand across his forehead. "I'll be back soon enough," Sara stated, feeling slightly odd about the prospect of talking to her unconscious husband.

Avoiding the multitude of wires and IV lines, Sara leaned down to kiss Grissom's forehead. Pulling back slightly, she whispered, "I love you, Gil; you get your rest," and exited the room.

* * *

The following morning was the first time Sara was able to visit Grissom when he was conscious. When Grissom saw her walk into the room, he smiled. "How do you feel?" Sara asked, walking over to his bedside. 

"Sore," Grissom admitted, "and I'm ready to go home."

"It's going to be a few days," Sara informed him, "When you decided to end up in the hospital, you really went all out."

Grissom cleared his throat. "Sara, I need you to take care of some things for me," Grissom explained, "take that letter off of the table and bring it to Ecklie."

"What is it?" Sara questioned, interrupting and turning to pick up the envelope.

"Then I need you to clear out my office," Grissom continued his instructions.

Sara stiffened and slowly turned back around when she heard Grissom's words. "You can't be serious," Sara stated.

"Sara, I've had a lot of time to think, and this is what I want," Grissom attempted to tell her how he felt.

_But you're not going to discuss this with me. _Not wanting to aggravate him in his current condition, Sara decided to acquiesce. "I'll go take care of this now and come back in a little while," Sara spoke.

Turning away from Grissom before he could reply, Sara took a deep breath and walked toward the door.

* * *

After leaving the envelope with Ecklie's secretary, Sara walked down to Grissom's office. Using his keys, she opened the door and closed it behind her, not wanting to have an audience while packing Grissom's things away. While Sara worked, she periodically brushed tears away from her face as she realized what Grissom was doing, what he was leaving behind. 

Upon completion of her task, all that was left were some holes in the wall where Grissom had hung his various pictures and certificates – the only physical evidence of his existence at the lab.

* * *

Walking by Grissom's office before the start of her shift, Catherine glanced into the empty room. "Gil Grissom, what did you do?" Catherine said sternly. 

Turning to make a beeline to the break room, Catherine ran into Warrick. "Woah, what's going on?" Warrick asked, taking a step back from her.

"Just a minute," Catherine spoke, holding her hand out while she punched Sara's number into her cell phone.

"Sara, it's Catherine," Catherine stated when Sara picked up, "Is Gil okay?"

"He's fine Catherine. Why, what's wrong?" Sara questioned, curious as to what she was calling about.

"His office is empty," Catherine spit out.

"I know," Sara replied.

Not bothering to ask about anything else and not wanting to partake in meaningless small talk, Catherine closed her cell phone. "He quit," Catherine stated plainly, the significance not sinking in quite yet.

"He quit!" Catherine yelled, her voice fueled by anger and pain.

Showing only a grim smile, Warrick recalled one of Grissom's telling statements; "When I leave CSI, there won't be any cake in the break room. I'll just be gone."

Sighing, Warrick said the only fitting thing that he could; "He's gone."

* * *

The End

* * *


End file.
